I am thrilled that she is loving to read and now that she is cranking through book series, I am noticing a pattern: she loves fast paced, fantasy adventure books, particularly those in which the main characters possess special powers. I asked her for her Top 5 Series recommendations and all fit the bill except for The Mysterious Benedict Society. These series also have unisex appeal as I have noticed that she is lending out her books to both male and female classmates. Finally, these books are appropriate for a wider audience beyond 5th grade, I’d say the range is grades 3rd through 8th.

When my girls received the Alice’s Pawfect Tea-Party Kit, they were delirious with excitement. There is so much to love about this kit. It’s charming, delicious, and teaches manners that combat bullying behavior. There’s always room for one more is what Alice teaches and this is a lovely message. As for the kit, it’s a gift that keeps giving.

My youngest is going into first grade and he loves math. I asked him if he wanted to learn to multiply in five minutes and he said, “Yes!” And so we started reading the Sticks and Steps method of multiplication which is beautifully simple and visual.

I do love those old fashioned books; you know, the ones where no one fights at all EVER. Siblings get along beautifully, parents never get divorced, and there’s always a happy ending. In fact, there is so little conflict, there isn’t much plot. It’s more like a series of short vignettes of what life was like back then. Was life that simple and conflict free back then? I doubt it, but I do love reading about it with my kids.

For those interested in Ancient Greek Civilization, Greek Mythology or just plain old Percy Jackson fans, check out this post from ColourLovers that depicts ancient Greek sculpture and how they really looked based on scientific research…